Manties in a Twist - J.A. Rock

Manties in a Twist (The Subs Club #3) / J. A. Rock

Disclaimer: This is a review of an erotic novella about people who get off on what some readers may consider rather horrible things being done to them in consensual situations.

The books in this series portrays kink in a manner that you are not likely to have encountered in popular erotic romance (Fifty Shades of Grey, Bared to You, etc).  Depending on your general stance, you'll end up either shocked or thrilled at the kink play within.


The Subs Club series follows a group of four men still mourning the loss of their friend due to carelessness during an edge-play scene at a BDSM club over a year ago.  These are the stories of them reconciling their loss, developing relationships, growth, and hot and heavy sexy times.

Previously reviewed: The Subs Club and Pain Slut

Kamen is the joker, the one who says awkward things and never seems to take anything seriously.  Hal was his friend, but the Sub's Club has never been an avenue for social justice or education to him, but something that he did with the people who mean the most to him.

Things are going well for Kamen, he's in a serious relationship with a man he loves, and their kinks compliment each other's.  Spanking, women's clothing, lacy panties, you name it.  But it's hard when his friends don't seem to get Ryan, or his relationship with him. 

Then an argument with the Sub Club's "arch rival" Cinnamon pulls Kamen and Ryan into a Pony Play competition, and the two of them start getting serious about something they never thought about. 

Love, trust, and friendship lie at the core of this story.


Each of the stories of The Subs Club series takes on different aspects of BDSM and types of relationships, and Manties in a Twist stays true to form.  Not only that, but it explores Kamen as a character, not just the silly but simple member of the best friend foursome.  The story has a levity not quite present in the first two books, but still carries both individual and ongoing serious threads.  The featured kink of Manties in a Twist revolves around dress-up, costumes, role-play, and accessories, rather than pain or discipline as featured in The Subs Club and Pain Slut.  A solid continuation of the series.

Advance Reader Copies courtesy of Riptide Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; changes may exist between galley and the final edition.

3.5 Stars rounded down because issues

Huh, this was unexpected and hot. And yet...


I'm usually not a fan of lingerie and manties. Just not exactly up my alley, at least not in books. But it was hot here, I'll admit. That might have had to do more with Scott than the underwear, though. Because I liked him right from the get-go. He was sweet, caring and sometimes a little idiotic. But cute as hell.

Rylan was... different? I liked him and his sassy mouth in a way. And I understood his aversion to getting together with a guy who want able to define himself in any way. After one time too many with "experimenting straights" the heart trends to get wary and defensive. He did open up more in the end, so i could live with that. The snarky banter was amusing, if a little too much at times. But it is an enemies to lovers story, so that wasn't really unexpected.

What did throw me now and again was the underlying nastiness at times. Granted, most of the fights were direct results of miscommunication or no communication at all, but still. The times these two actually threw insults at each other and some of the interactions, especially on Rylans part, left me a little unsettled. That wasn't teasing anymore, it was downright mean, bordering on... I don't know. Not sure what you call one enemy touching the other enemies' most private orifice in public without permission? No matter what the name, it didn't completely sit right with me, and I had a harder time believing the rest of the story after that.

It was a nice answer to a really hot prompt, though. And I enjoyed it nonetheless. Just not as much as I'd hoped.